On Wednesday I had the opportunity to represent you and attend Gov. Pat Quinn's 2014 State of State address to the Illinois General Assembly. The governor's remarks began by honoring two public servants, tollway worker Vincent Petrella, who lost his life, and Illinois State Trooper Douglas Balder, who is battling for his life, after they were both doing their jobs helping a truck driver in distress on Interstate 88 last Monday.

The governor also recognized Sgt. Brent Adkins and Sgt. Benjamin Griest of the Illinois National Guard in Mattoon for their efforts in clearing Interstate 57 and rescuing hundreds of motorist from being stranded in a blizzard. Six-year-old Brevin Hunter of Washington, Ill., who warned his mom just before a tornado decimated their home and saved his family, was also honored.

Furthermore, he honored the students of Downers Grove North High School, including Anne Wagner. Ms. Wagner, who has Down syndrome, missed her sophomore and most of her junior year in high school, but her friends did not forget her. Her lifelong friend, Mary Doro, nominated her and she was voted Homecoming Queen. We are very proud of all of the heroes of our state.

The governor then painted a rosy picture of Illinois' fiscal and jobs outlook, claiming the state has turned the corner and is making a comeback. Unfortunately, with all due respect, the governor's rhetoric does not match reality.

Now most of you know I always tend to focus on the positives. However, I must point out the following observations about his remarks. Families are looking for good-paying jobs that can lead to prosperity, not just sustainment. Illinois has the third-highest unemployment rate in the nation at 8.6 percent. Our neighboring states are all lower. Iowa is only 4.2 percent, Wisconsin and Indiana are both at 6.2 percent, and Missouri is at 5.9 percent.

Illinois has 110,000 fewer jobs than when Quinn became governor. For 2014, Moody's ranked Illinois dead last among all states for job growth, and Illinois has the second-largest outward migration numbers of any state in the nation, clearly indicating people are leaving for greener pastures. I do not believe the governor should be touting anything different than creating good, sustainable jobs while offering competitive incentives for business retention.

Illinois does not have a revenue problem; we have a spending problem. For fiscal year 2013, Illinois collected $36 billion, which is a 6.7 percent growth, or $2.26 billion. The governor needs to realize that increased revenue does not mean increased spending for new projects.

The tax increase that Illinois passed in 2011 is set to expire this year. Part of the increased revenue was from this extreme increase in income and corporate taxes, and even though we raised taxes 67 percent, we still ended 2013 with $6.4 billion in unpaid bills and $127 billion in unpaid debt. The governor must be under the impression that the tax increase will become permanent before the session adjourns this spring.

Speaking of taxes, Illinois has the second-highest property taxes of any state, and we could even pass New Jersey for the top spot in 2014. When are we going to start creating a stable tax environment where the immediate threat of higher taxes is not the norm? I also ask why the transportation hub of the nation and one of the largest agricultural engines in the United States cannot do better than this? We need to fundamentally change our jobs and tax policies if we are going to get Illinois working again.

In the words of Richard Dreyfuss, "John Kennedy really did extend the reach of the American people and said, like Lincoln said in a way, that our reach is farther than our grasp - and we should aim high."

On another note, according to Phyllis Diller, "Aim high, and you won't shoot your foot off." We all need to aim higher, governor, if we really want to get the job done!

Brian Stewart is the 89th District state representative. You can reach him or Sally at 815-232-0774 or e-mail us at repstewart@gmail.com. You can also visit his website at repbrianstewart.com or on Facebook.